


Duty-bound

by bobadeluxe



Category: Cookie Run (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Crush, First Kiss, Flirting, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Short One Shot, Spoilers, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29369073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobadeluxe/pseuds/bobadeluxe
Summary: Prior to falling asleep along with his tribe, Churro spent his youth training to be a warrior, and guarding the City of the Millennial tree. He didn't have time to fall in love, let alone celebrating Valentine's day.Some cookies must have realized this as well, because eventually the rumor had ceased without his intervention. Everyone stopped pursuing him with the assumption that Churro wasn't interested in Valentine's day. He dedicated himself to his duty.It was not far from the truth.
Relationships: Implied Millennial Tree Cookie (Cookie Run)/Wind Archer (Cookie Run), Millennial Tree Cookie (Cookie Run)/Churro Cookie (Cookie Run)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Duty-bound

**Author's Note:**

> As always, this was originally written in Thai by me and then I translated it to English so I can post it here!
> 
> It was also written for a Valentine's day prompt. I don't know actually if the Churros would celebrate Valentine's day, or if they would call it Valentine. Like, who would 'Valentine' be in this universe? Though the game did call it Valentine's Day in an event once, yeah?
> 
> There is a slight spoilers to the current Story Run, with the ending changed a little for my shipping nonsense (hence the Not Canon Compliant tag, though it's so minor that I didn't feel it warrant an Alternate Universe tag.)
> 
> I'm referring to Churro with he/him pronouns and tagging with it M/M for now, but I will update it if he comes out and is referred to with other pronouns. (Was he referred to as he/him in the event? I don't remember that he was, but the wiki uses he/him, and the thai translation of the game doesn't use pronouns that could be directly translated into English.) For now I avoid referring to him as a man and other terms like that. (They are cookies, after all!)

Once the Churro Village was released from the curse, everything returned to normal as if nothing ever happened. The Churro tribe continued on with their life, picking up where they left off after their long slumber. Time flew by, and before Churro Cookie knew it, Valentine’s day was soon approaching. Since the beginning of the month, his tribe had been anticipating the festival of love with great enthusiasm.

As a full-fledged warrior with chocolate syrup marking upon his forehead, Churro Cookie caught the eyes of many. For the past week or so—even before the celebration properly began—Churro had been approached by cookies of all kinds. Some were subtle, prodding Churro about his Valentine’s day plan, and his interest in other cookies to suss out if he was available. Some were direct, extending him an invitation face to face, on parchment papers, and even with lavish gifts that now had been fed to the Cookiemals.

After rejecting countless cookies, speculation began to circulate around him. Rumors popped up all over the forest like mushrooms. _Was Churro in love? Was he in a secret relationship?!_ Although Churro didn't mind being the talk of the village. In a tight-knitted commune like this, it was impossible to keep secrets. Everyone knew everyone. Still, it was quite amusing that he— _of all cookies_ —would be caught up in this kind of gossip. Prior to falling asleep along with his tribe, Churro spent his youth training to be a warrior, and guarding the City of the Millennial tree. He didn't have time to fall in love, let alone celebrating Valentine's day.

Some cookies must have realized this as well, because eventually the rumors had ceased without his intervention. Everyone stopped pursuing him with the assumption that _Churro wasn't interested in Valentine's day. He dedicated himself to his duty._

It was not far from the truth.

The Great Tree was not just a tree anymore. Not a place, a mural, or a vague figure that cookies relied on for inner strength. _He_ was another cookie living amongst the Churro tribe. He wasn't sitting on the throne, unreachable, and untouchable. He was within Churro's grasp, less than a foot away. Ever since the gauntlet was bestowed upon him, Churro felt that the Sacred One was always with him, _within_ him. Now he really was, and not as just a metaphor either. Churro could see him, reach him, and touch him. In a way, his duty was more important than ever.

He accompanied the Sacred One to almost everywhere now, not just ‘standing around looking at a mural’ as the Cookiemals teased him. He was still weak, as he hadn’t fully recovered from the pomegranate curse. Yet unlike his archer who knew better to rest, and kept himself safe from harm—the Great Tree immediately came to life. His branches reached far, his roots freed from the ground as his spirit awakened. He was eager to join the living world with his followers. So eager he couldn’t keep still, running wild everywhere to mimic the young cookies he saw. He loved to socialize, and interact with every living being, cookies to creatures alike. It was as if he wanted to make up for lost time when he was asleep, unable to watch over the creatures under his protection.

He was… enthusiastic, to say the least. Filled with a zest for life as one would expect from a force of nature that was the Great Tree. Sometimes his enthusiasm reached a concerning point. Churro found him passed out in the woods one too many times, his body intertwined with vines. Took his eyes away from him for a second, and he might as well have fallen off a cliff—

"Sacred one! Watch out!"

 _Speak of the devil._ Churro rushed to the rescue, spreading out his arms to catch Millennial Tree Cookie as he fell out of a tree. _What was he doing up there? What if Churro was too slow to cushion his fall?_ The trees around here weren't just any small tree either. A cookie could crumble if they fall from that height. Yet the sacred one was unnerved, he looked up at Churro, blinking, feigning innocence.

"Thank you!" He said with a smile. His arms came up to wrap around Churro's neck. "What a reliable cookie you are, Churro."

Churro sighed. "Please be more careful. What would I— _our village_ do if something were to happen to you?"

"Huh."

…

Churro let him down before he embarrassed himself further. The Sacred One took quite a fall, but he seemed to be fine. Not a single scratch on him, and he was able to stand on his own when he let go of Churro's neck. They stared at each other, an uncomfortable hush fell over them. _This was why Churro preferred to be a cookie of few words._

Then out of nowhere, Millennial Tree placed the back of his hand on his forehead, and fell backward. " _Ah_ , catch me Churro."

Churro immediately reached for him out of instinct, before he could even process his command (or notice how fake his cry of distress was.) His arm supported Millennial Tree at his lower back, holding him in place before he could fall over to the ground.

"Are you alright?!" Churro asked, panic in his voice.

The great tree _laughed._ "See? Reliable."

Churro wanted to crawl into the dirt and hide. " _Please_ do not test me this way."

He ignored Churro, and continued talking. "You remind me of my wind. Wind Archer Cookie. You know of him, yes? He is the wind beneath my wings. If we were to say that he is my speed, well then you must be my strength."

Was Churro blushing? "What are you saying…"

"Many cookies must wish to be with a strong, reliable cookie such as yourself. Why are you not celebrating the season of love with them?" he asked.

...Were all gods like this? Did they all love being cryptic, and self-indulgent?

Churro had never imagined what the scared one would be like. The legends from his tribe’s teaching only described him with vague metaphors. He was as strong as the oak tree that gave them shelter. He was as gentle as the shade that protected them from the blazing sun. The legends never mentioned how difficult he would be or how much he loved to tease.

Being able to see him like this, and holding him in his arms, shifted Churro’s perspective a great deal. Everything that occurred in the temple that day, his adventure with the Cookiemals… his faith was shaken like never before. Churro’s faith was never challenged prior to that day. In such a short span of time, Churro began to question why nature could be so cruel to cookies. _Were they undeserving of the tree’s power?_ He even lost hope for a brief moment, and struggled to fight without relying on the tree’s power. Until the Sacred One proved himself to be a god worth worshiping, and returned to his aid once more.

After everything that happened, Churro’s faith was renewed stronger than before, but he was a different cookie now. He still held the Millennial Tree in highest esteem, but he also realized that there was no force in this world without flaw. That the power of the great tree was not all-powerful, and undefeatable. If it was, his tribe would not have fallen under the crimson curse. The Millennial Tree wouldn’t have been corrupted by pomegranate seeds. It was not sufficient to simply worship the great tree for giving them life. They must protect and nourish him in turn, with… love, and…

"You haven’t answered my question,” Sacred one said.

Churro startled. “Apologies, my thoughts carried me away.”

“I can see that,” he said with a laugh, but it wasn’t to mock him, he just sounded… amused.

“Other cookies understand that I dedicate myself to my duty,” Churro answered before he said something else that he would come to regret. “I don’t have time for a relationship.”

“Married to your work, I see. Or married to _me,_ one may say,” Millennial Tree hummed.

Churro closed his eyes with a groan, “Please don’t joke about it so lightly.”

“Hm?”

“My heart couldn’t take it.”

That… was _way_ too honest, even though Churro was obligated to be candid with a god. A sentiment so sincere that it made him sick to hear himself saying it out loud.

“I am not joking,” Millennial tree said in a much gentler, more careful tone of voice. “How could I see my follower’s loyalty, and dedication, as a laughing matter?”

Churro opened his eyes. “I wasn’t accusing you of..”

“Churro,” the Millennial tree interrupted, _again_. He was going to be the death of him. “Kiss me.”

“Pardon?”

“Kiss me, that is an order.”

As it turned out, following the great tree’s order was ingrained into his instinct. The way he caught him earlier wasn’t just a reflex. Being given an order like this, and with the sacred one in his arms—mere inches away—it was the most natural thing in the world to lean down and kiss him.

When he pulled away, Millennial Tree was staring at him, eyes wide. Did he even close his eyes when they kissed? It seemed Churro had managed to stumble him for the very first time. What an impressive achievement, but wasn’t this what he wanted? It was his order after all.

“...You don’t have to do everything I say, you know,” the Millennial tree grumbled. He was getting.. _Shy_ , his cheeks flushed with color. “You’re just as bad as Wind Archer.”

Churro straightened himself upright. He did not miss the way Millennial Tree leaned toward him as Churro pulled himself away. “Happy Valentine's Day, sacred one.”

“It’s not Valentine's day yet,” he pointed out.

“Then I suppose I will have to kiss you again when the festival arrives,” Churro said, uncharacteristically confident. Then when he didn’t receive a response right away, he crumbled. “If.. that’s what you want, of course.”

Millennial Tree cookie snort, his flustered expression gave way for a self-satisfied grin. “Await your order, warrior.”

**Author's Note:**

> lmao i just kinda implied that churro is married to millennial tree in the same way that a nun is married to God huh


End file.
